In the field of mobile communications, LTE (Long Term Evolution), which is a next-generation radio technology, has been attracting attention. The SON (Self Organizing Network), which automates installation and operation of base stations, has been expected to contribute to the spread and expansion of the LTE. The functions of the SON are specified in release 8 of 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) which is an organization for standardizing radio technology. Techniques from various perspectives have been suggested in regard to the implementation of the SON (for example in Patent Literature 1 and 2).
Normally in the SON, control for collecting measurement data of network quality and the like from base stations (eNB: enhanced NodeB) and terminals that are in operation, analyzing such data, and autonomously optimizing the operations of the base stations is performed. Thus, the SON is expected to save the trouble of establishing and operation management of the mobile communication system, which is increasing in scale, and to improve the communication quality. Hereinafter, the control by the SON shall be referred to as “SON control”.
Regarding the SON control, there is a known method of implementation to realize the SON, which is to use one C-SON apparatus (C-SON: Centralized-SON) and a plurality of D-SON apparatuses (D-SON: Distributed-SON).
The C-SON apparatus covers all eNBs in the mobile communication system where eNBs from different vendors exist and performs a process of the SON control on each eNB.
The D-SON apparatus covers eNB(s) from only one vendor and performs the process of the SON control on one or a plurality of the eNBs from that vendor. The process performed by the D-SON apparatus includes a process for reporting configuration information on the eNBs that are covered by the D-SON apparatus to the C-SON apparatus and a process that is instructed by the C-SON apparatus for updating information on neighboring cells. These processes shall be hereinafter referred to as a “C-SON process”.